Relationships between Soluble Solids and Dry Matter in the Flesh of Stone Fruit at Harvest

Soluble solids concentration (SSC) is a reference index that typically used to quantify soluble sugars, the most abundant constituents of stone fruit flesh dry matter when approaching maturity. Dry (DMC) another parameter has been often associated with quality. This study investigated relationship SSC and DMC in fourteen cultivars at harvest. were measured physiological maturity peach, nectarine, plum apricot. data had similar symmetrical patterns (range, means variability) for cultivars. Mean ranged between 11.6 19.7 °Brix, 11.6% 19.4% w/w across all studied. High variability was observed apricot, an interquartile range = 5.7 °Brix. A generic linear regression model included nectarine revealed robust association (p < 0.001, R2 0.914, n 2800) prediction error (RMSE) equal 0.874% w/w. However, simplified estimation, RMSE only slightly increased still lower than 1.00% Similar results models assessed each cultivar independently, > 0.75 generated by thirteen out cultivars, exception apricot cultivar. These provide empirical evidence are highly correlated quality indicators plum, peach